Electrical connector



July 16. 1968 5. J. MAJEWSKI ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed May 12, 1966 INVENTOR, STAN LEY J. MAJEWSKI United States Patent 3,393,396 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Stanley J. Majewski, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed May 12, 1966, Ser. No. 550,097 1 Claim. (Cl. 33992) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector for microassemblies is disclosed. The connector consists of a header section and a receptacle section. The header comprises of a base and a contact support member mounted on the base. Both the base and the contact support member are rectangular shaped with base larger than the support member. The electrical contacts extend from the support through the base. The receptacle section is similar in basic design to the header in that it also has a base and a contact support member. The contacts on the receptacle are design to mate with the contacts of the header. The two sections are held together with a bolt and nut. Pins extend from the base of the receptacle so that the connector can be plugged into a circuit board or the like. The connector assemblies can be stacked.

The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to connectors for microassemblies.

The new era of microelectronics is predicated on two basic technologies. The first technology is the disposition of thin film passive components on inorganic substrates, such as glass, alumina, berryllia and sapphire with active devices introduced as dicrete diodes and transistors. The second is the monolithic silicon integrated circuit approach which includes the formation of both active and passive elements in a single crystal silicon wafer. Both types of components have generally been put in intermediate packages for individual functional circuits. The intermediate packages must subsequently be integrated in a subassembly by mounting on multilayered printed wiring boards. However, it is highly desirable to package a large number of uncased semiconductor devices and thin-film circuit elements in a single package by employing stacked microcircuit wafers, with standard edge pattern for interconnection with a connector, and thereby to reduce space requirements and overall packaging costs. To accomplish this etficiently, it is necessary to have microassembly connector devices with high contact density. In addition to having a high contact density, a microassembly connector should have (1) suflicient contact compliance to maintain relative mechanical motion to the barest minimum and to minimize effects of warpage, (2) the minimum possible size consistent with mechanical and electrical requirements, (3) suflicient durability to function through numerous mating and unmating cycles, (4) insertion and withdrawal forces that avoid any unwarranted strain upon either the header or receptacle, (5) a low resistance connection and (6) no detectable discontinuity or damage when subject to vibration.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a high density connector for stacked microcircuit wafers and wherein the connector meets all of the desired requirements discussed above. Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as disclosure is made in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the header and receptacle in unmated position; and

FIGURE 3 is the mated position of the view shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like components throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1, a header 10 comprising an insulating base 11 with an insulating contact support member 12 integrally positioned thereon so as to leave a flange 13 around the periphery of base 11. A bolt 14 is provided with its head 15 centrally and fiushly mounted in base 11 and contact support member 12 and having a threaded elongated portion adapted to pass through a centrally mounted bushing 17 on mating receptacle 18, through circuit board 19, which board does not form any part of the invention, through lock washer 20 and be engaged by nut 21 so as to firmly mate the header, receptacle, and circuit board. I

Mating receptacle 18 comprises an insulating base 22 with an insulating contact support member 23 integrally positioned thereon so as to leave flange 24 around the periphery of base 22. Bushing 17 is recessed in contact support member 23 so that said member may fit into a corresponding channel 25' in base 11 when the header and receptacle are in mating position.

A positioning pin 35, mounted in one quadrant of header 10, and corresponding hole 36 in mating receptacle 18 are employed to insure that the header and receptacle will always mate in the same relative position.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3 also, there is shown a plurality of rigid contacts 26 spaced along the periphery of contact support member 12 between projecting portions 27 of said support member and extend through flange 13 around base 11. More specifically, contacts 26 are integral structures comprising two aligned straight portions, one extending along contact support member 12 and the other through flange 13 in openings 28 provided therefor, a bent portion folded back upon itself integrally connecting said straight portions and abutting on flange 13, and an elbow portion abutting against the other side of flange 13 and terminating in slots 29 in said other side of flange 13. In use, the ribbon edge contacts 37 (shown in part in phantom) of the stacked microassemblies would be attached to rigid contacts 26.

A plurality of mating spring contacts 30 are spaced along contact support member 23in positions aligned with rigid contacts 26. Spring contacts 30 are integral units comprising a straight member extending through flange 24 in openings 31 provided therefor. One end of the straight member continues at a right angle and abuts flange 24 in recess 32 in said flange and is terminated by a horseshoe shaped portion angularly disposed with respect to the portionof the contact resting on flange 24. The other end of the straight portion of the contact 30 is terminated by right angle members. These right angle members are arranged such that for alternate spring contacts, one leg thereof is positioned in slot 33 (shown in phantom) in mating base 22, while the corresponding leg of the right angle members of the remaining contacts are positioned respectively in slots 34 in flange 24. The other legs of the right angle members project downwardly from base 22 and are alternately staggered because of the alternate staggering of the legs along base 22 and flange 24. When the contacts are mated, the horseshoe shaped end of spring contact 30 wipes against the elbow portion of rigid contact 26 and is compressed, thereby insuring a clean firm connection even though the header and receptacle may be slightly warped or moved with respect to each other during operation. This type of connection, while providing a firm connection, minimizes insertion and withdrawal forces and gives a durable connector that will function through many mating and unmating cycles.

While only 9 contacts on a side have been shown it is clear that the number of contacts can be varied without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the connector may have 9 contacts per side on 0.025 centers around the outer periphery of the bases and contained Within a 0.393 square area for a 36 contact connector or it may have 20 contacts per side located on 0.025 centers around the outer periphery of the base and contained within a 0.703 square area for a total 80 contacts.

Obviously many modifictions and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practical otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A high contact density connector for connecting microassemblies to circuit boards comprising: a header, including a base, a contact support member mounted on said base, a flange surrounding said base and a plurality of regularly spaced rigid contacts mounted through said flange, and a portion of each of said rigid contacts abutting one side of said header flange and a diflerent portion of each of said rigid contacts abutting the opposite side of v 4 said header flange; a mating receptacle including a base, a contact support member mounted on said base, a flange surrounding said base, and a plurality of regularly spaced spring contacts mounted through said flange, and a portion of each of said spring contacts abutting one side of said receptacle flange and a different portion of each of said spring contacts abutting the opposite side of said receptacle flange, each of said spring contacts having a horseshoe shaped portion integrally connected with and angularly disposed with respect to said portion of said spring contact abutting the side of said receptacle flange facing said header and said horseshoe shaped portion contacting the portion of the rigid contacts that abuts said opposite side of said header flange when said header and receptacle are mated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS v 3,101,231 8/1963 Klostermann 339176 3,106,435 10/1963 Yopp 339-176 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

